Osteria Al Squero

Delicious cicchetti and an excellent Aperol Spritz. It’s often busy inside, but you can sit outside on the steps. When you take your food outside, they’ll warn you to watch out for seagulls – which really amused me. It’s not an empty warning; they truly lurk around, ready to snatch your meal if they get the chance. The food was excellent in taste and perfect for a light lunch or snack. As a bonus, there’s a lovely view of the boatyard. Highly recommended for a quick, tasty stop.

What a nice little gem! The service was really quick considering the number of customers. We ordered 9 chichettis,and we were very happy with all of them! Tasty, vegetarian options, good portion size per chichetti. It’s a bit out of them center, but people know about this place, it was full when we went there, but since you can eat outside and order as takeout, it’s not really an issue.

Al Squero is our go-to for experiencing one of Venice’s most beloved traditions—cicchetti! This cozy, bustling spot is a hidden gem where locals, students, and workers gather for incredible small bites and perfectly poured drinks. Arrive early to snag a seat inside and be ready when the trays of fresh cicchetti emerge—you won’t want to miss out! With affordable prices, delicious snacks, and refreshing Aperol spritzes, it’s the perfect stop for a pre-dinner bite. And the best part? You can savor your food while watching skilled artisans craft gondolas right before your eyes—a true Venetian experience like no other!

Here has a great buzz going on. Opposite the gondola repair shop there is something to watch while you enjoy an excellent food experience. The aparol spritz is also a perfect mix. Be careful of the seagulls as they have learnt how good the food is also and will steal it straight off you plate if given the opportunity

Best place for cichetti! And spritzers were only £3! Found this place on Google Maps and arrived before 12pm, there was a long queue behind us right after. So much variety and everything was yummy! First meal in Venice and so worth it! The restaurant overlooks an old boat building workshop so you can kill two birds with one stone by coming here!

I’ve got to say that we had the best cicchetti we’ve had so far. Our favourite ones were the shrimp and tuna with onion on top. We had to go back for more! There’s not too much seating inside, but you can sit outside the restaurant by the canal, just watch out for the seagulls

Really cheap and tasty cicchetti, about €2.50 each plus very cheap wine (€3.50) and good soft drink options. Plus, the staff are super friendly! Theres a small amount of seating inside but it’s really better to sit outside on the wall for the beautiful setting!

If you’re near fundamento nove then definitely check out this place. Prices are good and chqeties are delicious. Aperol is not as strong as in other places. Really good views right before store. Locals also come here.

Perfect place to grab an aperol spritz, have some cichetti, and hang out along the canal.

Such a great little spot. There is limited seating inside, but that's ok because there is plenty of room to sit along the canal, watching gondolas and boats pass by. This place is right across the canal from one of the oldest (maybe the last remaining?) gondola repair shops in Venice. Drinks were delicious and so cheap (3.50 for a spritz). There was a large variety of cicchetti to chose from; we ordered a few of the seafood/fish cicchetti and they were great. Long line up but service was efficient. Definitely would recommend - we easily spent two hours here.

Doing a Cichetti tour in Venice is a great way to explore the islands, neighborhoods and campos. Once we arrived in Venice, we dropped off our bags and went off to find cicchetti and spritz! Osteria Al Squero was our first stop. We grabbed about 6 cicchetti and a couple of Aperol spritz and it was a great way to start our trip. There are plenty of vegetarian/pescatarian options, so I highly recommend grabbing a few to try. After 2 weeks in Italy, I can confidently say the prices are just right and the quality of the food is great! Also after 2 weeks in Italy, I have also come to the conclusion that I am particularly picky when it comes to bread (Please don't detain me at the airport next time!) Most cicchetti bread is not my favorite, but the toppings can really make or break it. I genuinely enjoyed everything at Osteria Al Squero - paired with a nice spritz and a view of the gondola workshop across the canal, is a great way to soak in Venice. Oh and watch out for the seagulls.

-cicchetti is good, my favorite was the tuna with caramelized onions. - spritz to go is big - they have one bathroom - you can pay with a credit card - it's a small place so you have to eat outside. There is maybe room for 6-8 people inside. - watch out for the seagulls outside. They will try and eat your food if you leave it unattended for more than 2 seconds.

Nice local spot stand outside or limited seatimg inside for cichetti. We went to grab snacks there after visiting the Galleria accademia. We tried the Brie/truffle cichetti, pastrami panini, shrimp with pickled onions on bruschetta, sweet and sour sardines on pickled onions, and meat croquette. The Brie cichetti and panini were our favorites. The service was friendly and quick. Check them out.

Awesome cicchetti bar that also has wine. There is really not a bad order here. The wheat bread base is a great texture to go with the toppings and is better bread than usual. Try a mix if seafood and salami toppings. Fair warning that the white sauce on the ham is spicy and will be felt. They even gave seasonal options like a pumpkin cheese. Indoor seating is comfy and standing room is also available. Outside you'll find a concrete canal wall that you can eat on. Fair warning that this place fills fast so arrive early and avoid weekends! Staff is super efficient, speaks English, and accepts credit cards.

Amazing spot for Cicchetti and drinks - located right on the canal. I ordered a Spritz and a handful of different Cicchetti items and everything was delicious. They can get crowded but you can also eat/drink outside the business as well. Be careful though - seagulls/birds will try to take your food if you are not paying attention! Definitely worth the visit in Venice!

My wife and I visited Osteria Al Squero on a recent trip to Venice. This osteria specializes in Cicchetti which are basically Venetian tapas. Upon arriving we noticed a line out of the door but it moved quickly. I ordered a variety of Cicchetti and a pair of Aperol Spritz. We enjoyed our meal outside next to a canal. Directly across the canal was a gondola workshop which made for a nice view while enjoying our food. One cicchetti included creamy cod, another had cream cheese with juicy tomato, another had fatty pork with rosemary, another had tangy onion with flavorful fish, another had creamy tuna with briny olives, and the final one had tangy olives with flavorful anchovies. Overall, the food was delicious and Osteria Al Squero was worth the visit.

Delicious spot right on the canal for drinks and cicchetti (Venetian version of aperitivo- aka small dishes). I love that I can either hang out inside or outside, and there are so many food and drink options. I love getting a Spritz and an assortment of seafood based cicchetti- prices are so reasonable too with fresh and delicious ingredients. I can't wait to go back!

We came to this place because I saw it on a youtube video for cichetti. It was really good. There was plenty to choose from, salmon, shrimp. Top it off with glasses of wine. Heavenly. Enjoyed the view of the last/only gondola repair place in venezia. There was also a park across the canal to sit under a tree.

! Fast friendly service! Would definitely recommend . Was dying to try cicchetti in Venice and this spot did not disappoint!

Busy place with lots of locals! You queue up, order, then they quickly prepare it. Virtually no seating inside, but that's okay because the action is outside! It's on a small canal, across from a boat-building place. We enjoyed the wines and cichetti, and people watching! Get away from the crowds of tourists by crossing the bridge (Ponte Dell'Accademia) and see a slice of the real Venezia!

This was our first food stop on our honeymoon and we were not disappointed. We beat the lunchtime rush so there wasn't much of a line and we got a nice spot to sit right along the canal and enjoyed aperol spritz as well. The bites were delicious.

Gotta stop in here if you're in the Venice hood. Cute little sitting areas inside. Right on the canal. Cheapest Spritz and delicious food bites. Watch out if you're carrying the food outside. Saw a full plate of snacks get dive bombed by seagulls. They aren't shy.

Tiny canal side chichetti bar. Very little interior seating but scenic outdoor standing makes seating unnecessary. Small tapas style selections are terrific. Beware the birds that will swoop down and steal it from your hand. Prices are very reasonable which is unusual. A must do experience for the adventurous. Highly recommended.

Absolutely delicious and super affordable cicchettis and drinks with a great vibe and ambience, although a very small place! Came here on a weekday night for dinner! It was a bit further out and near the edge of the city, it was pretty quiet and dark, but once you near the place you can hear the bustle, the energy and the chatter. It was packed! There were pretty much no seats when I arrived at 5:30 and people were scattered even outside on the ledge sitting right at the water. The nice thing about this place is even though it's tiny inside, they give you disposable plates and glasses and you can grab a drink and eat outside in the fresh air. The restaurant itself is quite small, but so energetic and live. You'll unlikely find a seat here unless you come really early or have great timing. When you walk in you see a huge glass counter with a ton of cicchettis, which is what this place is known for! And so many options. I got 5 of them that looked appealing - they have some with meat, eggs, shrimp, seafood, or veggie - and they usually have some spread, sauce, etc. It looked simple, but it was so good. It was probably the high quality ingredients like the bread and meat, and great combinations that provide good balance, taste and texture. Each cicchetti was pretty cheap around 1 - 3 euros each, but probably averaging 2 euros. I even got a spritz which I believe was under 3 euros! So good! Anyways, this place has great food and vibes and I'd definitely come back if I'm in Venice.

Definitely the best stop for food that we made while in Venice. Outstanding and authentic bacaro serving phenomenal chicchetti and wines in a casual setting on a canal. The place came recommended by the concierge at the Waldorf as a place where he dined on his off time and it didn't disappoint. We particularly enjoyed the swordfish crostini which was prepared as a crudo and served on lightly buttered bread with a miniature tomato garnish, it melted in your mouth. The tonno and relish as well as prosciutto cotto with egg were also fantastic. They make a great spritz and have plenty of Venetian wines by the glass including a wonderful Amarone for only 5 euros. Service is friendly and helpful. Be warned, it is super busy with a line forming before they open. If you can grab one of the few seats inside do so as it allows you to cut the line for refills and more crostini. If not you can sit on the wall along the canal and enjoy the Venetian atmosphere.

My wife and I were on our first stop on a ten day tour of Italy, Venice! They have all these happy hour places where you can get 1 or 2 Euro tapas and a Spritz and sit by the canals and enjoy the evening. I got a few and they were awesome, especially sitting along a Venice canal at twilight. I had a few spritz on the trip and it is a bitter/sweet drink with prosecco. Great place for a happy hour drink and some snacks.

Tapas bar right next to the river! Found this around 7pm and it was super packed. Indoor seating but most people sit along the river outside. Drink and tapas (small plates) deal. Mixture of different breads and toppings - cheese, meat, etc. Ordered 5 different tapas and 2 spritz for a bit over 10 euros. Everything was delicious and such a great deal especially in a place like Venice where cheap food can be hard to find. Would definitely come back again!!

Watch out for the birds! They almost stole our snacks! Being a few feet down from the famed cichetti bar Gia Schiavi, the young crowd with glowing orange aperol spritzes caught our eye. We ended up liking this place even more! I found the cichetti to have more flavor here. There's basically no room inside, so be prepared to weasel your way in, grab your food and eat it outside. There's a convenient area in which to place your food, but the seagulls know it all too well! Enjoy!

I cannot understate how much I love the concept of cicchetti! A lunch made of small bites, that are all fresh, unique and tasty, all served up on a paper plate that you can eat along the canal is my idea of perfection. It was busy when we stopped in, but the staff are all pros and were patient as we pointed out what we wanted. The caprese was my favorite! It had a really good pesto underneath that I loved but the mortadella-topped one was pretty good too. We also grabbed a couple of little meat patties that were great. We stopped by one other bacari but this one was my favorite. I highly recommed stopping by for lunch or happy hour.

Finally a good meal that's cheap! It's really refreshing to pay 10 euro for a drink and some food that's actually good. If you are super hungry the small tapas won't fill you up unless you get a lot of them. But they are so cheap, why not. I was really disappointed with the food here up until this point and was pleasantly surprised by this little spot!

BF couldn't have found a better place to grab a quick, cheap bite before we headed to two nearby museums. Osteria Al Squero is located far enough from Piazza San Marco that there were more locals than tourists lining up for cicchetti. No seating outside, but opt to eat there so you can watch the gondola makers across the canal. You can't beat the atmosphere! We chose crostinis -- ones topped with cured meats for him, & ones topped with cheese & veggies for me. My absolute favorite was the truffle & brie, with herb ricotta & pepper being a close runner up. The crostini topped with artichoke was good. The smoked cheese, pumpkin,& mushroom was the only I didn't care to finish. I was pleased to see a plethora of vegetarian options. We ate well & had two limone sodas for around €18. Calling Osteria Al Squero a must for delectable finger foods when in the Dorsoduro district.

Left me wanting more, but I'll take it. The crosstini was very good, however they didn't have many options. They were all pretty much the same thing with a different garnish on top. They are only €2 each, but they're not that big. They are mainly tuna, which tasted like it was canned. Additionally, the tuna ball I got was cold. Overall, the food got three stars in my book. However, The appeal of this place is for the cheap drinks and nice location. I saw a few places offering €2.50 aperol spritz, but this place was right on the water which was nice. It gets busy, so you will most likely have to eat standing outside, unless you're lucky enough to snag a seat. If you're in the area, definitely go. But, don't make a detour just to come here

Delicious little spot for bites and drinks. The tuna with caramelized onions was phenomenal. All the sandwich bites were very tasty. They have very little seating inside but you can take your food outside and sit along the wall of the canal. Great for a little midday break.

Very nice little Osteria!! Absolutely perfect for pre-drinks and aperitif type foods; but not for lunch nor dinner. The most common thing they have is very tasty little tapas toasts with different types of homemade spreads. Considering that Venice is not particularly well known for the quality of its restaurants, this is a pretty good spot!!

After settling into our Airbnb, my husband and I walked to Osteria Al Squero for an afternoon snack. Although this place was small and didn't have many seats available, there was a pretty big selection of cicchetti to choose from. We ended up ordering 8 different cicchetti and shared a spritz. The food was not only delicious, but so affordable! Although there was only one staff member that spoke English, he was extremely helpful and the entire staff was friendly and welcoming. I wish I could go back there right now for more cicchetti!

Super small, long lines and very busy. Pricier then a few other also off the main tourist streets. Eating outside with cigarette smokers not the best and you must make sure the seagulls don't take you plate! Lol Good selection of choices and friendly staff, know what you want quickly or they move to the next customer in line! I have one pork fat, two fish and the what's left of the eggplant the seagulls dropped.

As much as I love Venice, it sadly lacks a foodie culture. As a city that relies on tourism almost exclusively as an artificial life support, many restaurants offer multiple Italian cuisines from many different regions. You can easily spot them near many of the famous landmarks - they offer menus in many different languages, entrees are often overpriced and the dish is subpar. Avoid these restaurants like the plague. The key to eating well in Italy is to be mindful of the region you are in and to know what are the specialties of the region. While Venice may not have as many regional famous dishes as its neighbors down south, being by the water gives it access to great seafood. Place the seafood on top of a crostini and add some vegetables if needed. Offer a selection of seafood, pair it up with wine or a spritz and when you combine a couple of these seafood crostinis with a few glasses of alcohol you got yourself an affordable meal in Venice. Welcome to the wonderful world of bacari (wine bars that offer cicchetti - meat on top of crostini). While cicchetti (along with aperitivo wine or spritz) are made to tide off hunger before dinner as Europeans eat their dinner later than Americans, it can be made into a meal in and of itself if you eat several of these crostinis. Most cicchetti are about €1-€2, an ombre (small glass) of wine is about €2-€3, and an Aperol spritz €2.50. I got lucky. My hotel was located in the Dorsoduro sestiere and this was the closest bacaro. Even luckier was how highly rated this was on TripAdvisor. For those trying to access it from other sestiere you can access it from Zattere or Accademia vaporetto stops, but it's closer to Zattere. Cicchetti came to €1.60/piece. Some offerings at the top are a little cheaper, such as the fish fritter or the egg with anchovy. I didn't have a specific strategy when selecting my cicchetti nor do I remember to this day the names of each of the cicchetti I ate. I literally pointed to a couple of cicchetti I thought looked delicious and they served it to me on a plate. Though busy the service was very friendly and they reuse the paper plate you are initially served with when you go up to the counter a second time. What I do remember was that I liked all the cicchetti I was served, especially the crab and crab meat, cured meat (the only non-seafood cicchetti I had) and the sardine, which is a Venetian specialty. The total for my spritz and cicchetti totaled to about €12. Aperol spritz is a very popular drink in northern Italy where there's a strong "aperitivo culture". You'll see many people have a spritz in almost every restaurant. It's significantly less bitter than campari which made the drink surprisingly refreshing. The best part about this bacaro is the view - the window overlooks the Squero di San Trovaso, a gondola boatyard. This squero is what the bacaro is named after. The Taking advantage of this you can order your alcohol in plastic cups and picnic right along the edge close to the factory. It's probably one of the best picnicking spots in all of Venice. My only regret out of this whole experience was not picnicking outside.

Great selection of cicchetti. Not much for seating but wonderful to sit outside in the sun.

Delicious tapas! Hubby and I purchased different ones and enjoyed them all...including the one with sardines considering that we don't like sardines. The tuna with strawberry, shrimp, and the meat ball were our favorite.Pair them with an aperol spritz!

Tasty tapas and good Aperol Spritz. Cozy place. Everything you can order is already cooked so you won't wait for the order. Serves plates to go. Recommend it.

Walking through Venice on our last day, my husband picked out this spot for lunch. It's right across from the gondola builders which made for a cool afternoon view. The restaurant was busy, with limited seating. We each got prosecco and a few different open face sandwiches. All of them were delicious. We were lucky enough to get in a seat on the bar along the wall. Seating is limited so be prepared to stand, or take your food outside to eat along the canal. I loved all the vegetarian options, lots of cheese. My husband enjoyed the meat options. We had two rounds of food, then we were stuffed. Prices were very reasonable. This place was full of tourists and locals alike. Highly recommend trying this place.

As I was meandering along in Venice, I saw a crowd gathered on the sidewalk. Out of curiosity, I approached to find one of my best discoveries yet. This little place has a good thing going and they don't charge the normal, high price that most Venice restaurants do. €2.50 for a Campari, same for Prosecco. Also snacks... so many delicious snacks!

Perfect little apps before dinner with some yummy drinks as well. We arrived on a late afternoon and it was packed, definitely a young hip local hangout! Service was quick and friendly, picked out a few beautiful vegetarian cichettis that were interesting and delicious. Ate right outside with a beautiful view of the canals. Insta worthy! The Dosiduro hood is adorable/less touristy, a fun place to explore for sure. A few doors down is gelato squero (not listed on yelp!) but our favorite gelato in venice, you're welcome!

Great place to get a bites to eat and have a few drinks. For me and my wife, we spent less tha $20 dollars and had 4 drinks and filled up on the bites. Definitely recommend

Wonderful spot for lunch or dinner. Grab some cicchetti and beer/wine and sit along the canal. Very reasonable prices and great selection (but come early as they sell out).

Delicious tapas! Inside is a bit small but the store is along the canal and you can just sit outside on the ledge and eat. Probably my favorite place to eat in Venice! So delicious

Authentic food and a wide variety of tapas so you can try them all, also great service and you can tell it's a popular place with how many people there are but hardly a wait at all. Hopefully coming again tomorrow

Had such an amazing couple of meals here. Their tuna with caramelized onions was life changing. Unfortunately, their hours aren't posted on yelp and I tried to go on a Wednesday with some friends only to find out that Wednesday is the one day they are closed. For this reason, I am giving 4 stars but other than that the food was fantastic

Two of those Spritz prosecco drinks, that the locals drink, for 5 euros? Cheeeaaap! Very chill vibe here as you can take your drinks outside and chill next to the canal.

I would be murdered by my wife for giving this place any less than 4 stars. We came here for a quick bite. Basically the meal consisted of us indulging in a large variety of well-priced crostini. I couldn't even begin to tell you what all of the toppings were on them. There was fish, there was meat, there was mushroom stuff, there was a lot of stuff. I didn't care much for it as a whole, but I'm more in line with the hot style of food. Crostini aren't necessarily my thing, and that's really all that they have here (or at least all that I can remember). As with all of Venice, the people working here are very friendly, more than willing to help you pick out what you want, and just all around good people. We would have come back had it been closer to the hotel we were staying at (nothing is ever too far in Venice, but it was still more of a walk than we wanted the second time around). Good water as well. That might seem like faint praise but it was the truth.

The BEST local spot we went to. Off the beaten path, we were the only 'non locals' there. Across from a gondola maker makes great scenery. Get a variety of different crostini and inexpensive prosecco, you won't be disappointed.

Favorite evening bar in Venice to drink spiritiz caipirinha with a hottie by the canals. If desired, you could get few cichetti which in this case is bread with different kind of meats or cheeses.

This place is great for getting a quick bite and some wine for cheap! My wife and I went here around 5 pm and were able to get a plate full of finger foods, some wine, and a spritz for about 10 euros. The house wine was only 1.5 euros!

Good bar! Recommend to have afternoon drink to take rest during sightseeing.

Great little tapas bar! It gets crowded fast, so make sure to get there early. They provide the most delicious little samplings for such a cheap price, plus they allow you to take your food and drink (in plastic cups) outside so you can chill by the waterfront. The staff is super friendly and will provide you with recommendations if you're unsure of what to get. This is a must visit place when you're in Venice!

Great little place for a bite, and a drink! They have a variety of affordable crostini, and great prices on wine and prosecco. There is a view of a small canal and walking street for people watching. Just steps off the beaten path, avoid the glut of tourists for a more authentic local experience.

One of my favorite memories of Venice! We tried several of the ciccettis and the seafood ones were fresh and delicious! Awesome place for a midday snack and to relax with cheap and good wine. They close during the day for a lunch break so make sure to check their times. Highly recommend!